12 Ways to Think Slim

We eat it last for a reason: We're supposed to fill up on nutrient-rich food so we won't hungrily down a hunk of cake without thinking. Start with a bowl of vegetable soup, a filling habit that cut later calorie consumption by 20 percent in a study at Penn State University in University Park. Doubling up on a veggie side can satisfy you further, leaving room for a few bites of a treat but not enough to overdo it.